The present invention concerns a procedure for producing alcohols and aldehydes from alkenes and synthesis gases.
Oxygen containing compounds such as alcohols and aldehydes are generally produced by hydroformylation processes. The catalysts of industrial processes are typically homogeneous rhodium or cobalt carbonyls or phosphines. Heterogeneous catalysts can be produced by binding a metal compound on a fixed organic or inorganic carrier, whereby certain advantages are gained. The heterogeneous catalyst is easy and advantageous to separate from the products, which is specifically advantageous in using expensive rhodium catalysts. The heterogeneous catalyst is also thermally more stable than the homogeneous catalyst and causes less corrosion. In addition, the metal compound and the carrier may have useful combined effects. The processes of the homogeneous catalysts are however more specific and repeatable.
Metal cluster compounds are provided with advantageous characteristic features as precursors to catalysts because their specific structures as catalysts enable them to have better activities and particularly selectivities in comparison with simple metal complexes. The greatest difficulty is, however, the instability of metal cluster compounds. Advantages of heterogeneous cluster catalysts are lack of halides (a halide can be a catalytic toxic agent and cause aggregation and sintration), and provision of exact combination.
In the Finnish Patent No. 69620 is disclosed a catalyst for producing hydrogen gas from carbon monoxide and water (transfer reaction of aqueous gas). The catalyst is produced from the group VIII metal carbonyls and heterocyclic base. The metal carbonyl of the group is Ru.sub.3 (CO).sub.12, FeRu.sub.2 (CO).sub.12, Fe.sub.2 Ru(CO).sub.12, or their derivative M.sub.3 (CO).sub.12- L.sub.x, in which M is Ru or Fe, x is 1 or 2, and L is a trialkyl or triaryl phosphine or phosphite. The heterocyclic base used is a 2,2'-bipyridine or 1,10 phenantroline.